hmmm

Well after battling a 5 day bug we have overcome!! Who-hoo, it feels good to be alive again!

It is funny what you think about while you're down and out. You start to think about the old life as if it were some uptopia, some distant memory of a love once shared...a love between you and "normalcy." You sure learn to appreciate the simple things again, like eating! Wow it sure is nice to eat...so good. And just moving around. We take moving our bodies so for granted. When you're ill it is all you can do to walk from room to room. And dont get me started on trying to take care of a child while ill. I remember lying in bed around 5am thinking "It doesnt matter how tired I am...when she wakes up Im on duty. Period." And then crying myself to sleep....(well not really, but just about.)

Hurricane Jeanne rolled thru during our own personal "storm." I tell you what, those folks in Florida sure have had it tough lately. Living in the Southeast we get the leftovers of their messes and even the leftovers are scary. Funny, I dont think I ever watched the weather channel until about a year ago. They have gotten just about as bad as the regular news in terms of creating hysteria. I appreciate the warnings and all the hard work they do tracking the systems, but my goodness they know how to keep you glued to the station! Between my "local on the 8's", the updates on Florida, Hurricane coverage, and interviews with the Hurricane experts I'm in a frenzy before 9am! I've learned so much about the weather this past year I have often thought I might have enjoyed studying to be a meteorologist! That is, until I see the job assignments these reporters get.

Have you watched this? I dont know if it is only our local coverage or if it is shown across the nation, but these reporters EARN their money. It all starts a few days before the storm. Sweet little Stephanie Abrams is seen standing on the coast of Florida in a cute little t-shirt reporting on how the storm is due to strike later that evening. The wind is gusting to 20-30 miles an hour and her beautiful hair blows a little in the wind. As the hours pass the weather intensifies and by the time the eye of the storm is upon her, Stephanie is a mess. They've got her out in blinding rain...at one point she even screams into her mic "THE RAIN FEELS LIKE SHARDS OF GLASS STRIKING MY FACE RIGHT NOW." She can barely keep her hooded "Weather Channel" jacket on as 70 mile an our winds toss her around. Later they have her prove to us just how strong the winds can be (as if we dont already get the idea.) She has two producers holding onto her ankles while she stands between two buildings to demonstrate how the wind grows stronger if it finds a pocket such as this. "I'VE GOT MY PRODUCERS HOLDING ME DOWN AS I LEAN AGAINST THE WIND BETWEEN THESE TWO BUILDINGS" she cries! "IF THEY WEREN'T HOLDING ON TO ME I WOULD LITERALLY BE BLOWN OVER! THIS IS WHY YOU JUST DON'T RISK GOING OUT IN THESE STORMS!" Really? I certainly dont need Stephanie risking her life to get that picture.

Anyway, I sat and pondered the crazy weather we've been having, the crazy election that is almost upon us, the crazy illness we were all enduring, and the crazy way Stephanie Abrams risks her life to bring us live coverage of "Hurricane such-and-such" and realized.....I have no control over anything. It's not for me to control. I have to trust that God above is working things out according to His will. And usually, once I reach that point, life begins to become normal again.

Top 5 cute things lulu did this week...

5. I caught her sitting on the floor putting plastic eggs (yes, THE imfamous plastic eggs) into a container while doing her best to say "One, Two, THREE!" It sounded more like "Uh, Ta, EEEE!"

4. She has begun to say a few more words, and a particular song we made up allows her to use many of them at once. It's very simple. It goes, "da DA, da DA, da DA," followed by "ma MA, ma MA, ma MA," which is then followed by "pa PA, pa PA, pa PA." (you get the hang of it....!)

3. At the park she has decided she doesnt like walking thru the bark/wood chips so she asks to be carried from jungle gym to swings, back to slide, and across the grass. I think we forget that it's about ankle high grass to us, but knee high to her! But her daddy doesn't mind carrying her a bit.

2. She now likes to wear one pair of socks on her feet and another pair on her hands.....We thought the "sock-hands" had ended but a book featuring a pair of mittens rekindled the obsession.

1. She has learned to say "NO." But the thing is, she says it so funny we cant resist giggling when she says it. She puts her lips into the tiniest circle (this is also her "surprised" face when her eyes are opened wide) and holds them there long after saying the word. So basically she forms her lips, says "NO" then leaves her lips in a circle. So cute!

Hi there everyone!

A few things going on these days. Mars ILL's next album "ProPain" will be released October 19th and we are gearing up for that. I definitely recommend it (I know I'm particularly biased) but this is just a great album.

Our daughter has really hit her stride. At 18mos she is definitely her own individual and her spunky little personality is shining thru! Lately I have noticed her understanding a mimicking me a lot more. I was talking to her dad about her biting her shoe and happened to glance over at her and she had gotten her shoe and started biting it again! My mom recently visited and said "You just can't get away with anything around her!" She was putting on her makeup and making that funny face ladies sometimes do when they put on mascara. Our girl was watching her and when grandma looked down at her she caught sight of her trying to make the same face! Every time I yawn she opens her mouth real wide and breathes out real heavy, cracking me up. I dropped some food on the floor the other day and said "Shoot!" Suddenly from behind me I heard "Shhhh!" (her attempt to copy me) Oops!

But marriage and family are so great! Any of you who are married out there will know what I mean. You know, I really dont think there is any greater compromise you have to make in life than in marriage....and then in having children. I was recently talking with a friend of mine who has been married three months and he was gently mentioning how the "getting used to eachother" is setting in. When I first got married there were a few things about my husband I was SURE would change after I got my hands on him. First, he is the sleepiest person I have ever met! He can fall asleep in the middle of a conversation! He has funny hours because of his work, which add to his odd sleep habits, but seriously, I have never met anyone who can sleep like he does. He also has this crazy way of cleaning by "hiding" everything. Meaning, everything is put away and the house appears to be clean, but nothing was put in it's proper place, just "hidden" from view. Another funny quirk he has is only concentrating on one thing at a time. For instance, if he is on the phone I am FORBIDDEN from interrupting him in any way shape or form. If I try to throw in a comment or correct something he is saying I am either completely ignored or he gets so out of sorts you would think I threw an unexpected glass of water on his face while he was speaking! I literally have to stand in front of him and raise my hand in order to be adressed. And sometimes that doesnt even work!

Now Im not saying there arent plenty of quirks I came into the marriage with, believe me, sometimes my quirks irritate me! But it is quite amazing to me just how different two people can be, and that is why I say marriage is one of the greatest compromises we make in life. And then just when you begin to get used to it you think "hey, this isnt so bad, we've got the hang of it! Why dont we have kids!"

I love Fall!

I love Fall not only for the beautiful colors, the crisp air, and the coming holidays....but also for the new tv schedule! I just like having new stuff on, although I do admit that this year the different studios did a nice job of bringing new shows to the viewers this summer.

Here are some of my pics for this fall:

RETURNING SHOWS
Extreme Makeover Home (not the snip snip but the construction show)
Last Comic Standing
Bernie Mac
King of Queens
Survivor
The Apprentice
Alias
What Not to Wear

NEW SHOWS
Joey (give it a shot, eh?!)
LAX (ok, you gotta watch something on Mondays!)
Renovate My Famiy (Ex. Makeover Home but they work on the family too.)
Trading Spouses (one of my husband's favorites)
LOST (looks very interesting)
Listen Up (Jason Alexander deserves another hit.)
*cant remember the name of it but the new John Goodman/Jean Smart/Olympia Dukkakis looks kinda good.

*This list may be changed or altered after shows begin!!)

A question...

Some people want to know who will be our next president. Others want to know who will win the US Open, or what will happen with Hurricane Francis. What I want to know is...what's the deal with stuffed animals in the back window of your car?

I drove behind a woman the other day with soooo many animals back there that she had to create a dip in the middle just to see out the window! Her common theme seemed to be "white animals" but I've seen back windows of Beanie Babies, teddy bears, "anything goes", and bobble heads. I cant figure out if the purpose is to show off the gifts you've gotten from your friends, or to find a place for all those animals you dont want to store in your house.

Along the same lines are the billboard cars. You know, the cars with sooo many bumper stickers you learn the driver's entire life history along with political and religious preferences, favorite radio stations, restaurants, and music groups, and finally the schools their children attend as well as the sports they play and whether or not they made honor role.

Some of the funnier bumper stickers I've read are "Every child is an honored student at the Friend's School." Can we not show preference to the kids with good grades any longer? Or "Meat Is Dead." Ok.....? I sure hope so if Im eating it! Another funny one was "What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?" That made me chuckle.

I was driving frantically to work one morning and got behind some freak who was going just below the speed limit. As I began to edge up on her to give her the "go faster" signal I caught sight of her bumper sticker. It read "Designated pace driver...slow down!" If that doesn't get a person fired up I dont know what does! I thought "I sure wasn't in on that decision and if whoever appointed you had seen how you drive I doubt you'd have gotten the job!

Ah, well, there's nothing wrong with sharing your point of view by attaching it to your bumper...just know someone somewhere may be writing about how silly you are in their blog.